What Your Age Is Trying to Tell You About Your Work

Here’s some of my thoughts on how your age relates to your work and the value you can provide:
Life’s Too Short

As you get older, you increasingly realise that life’s too short.  Life’s definitely too short to be in the wrong line of work.  In fact, it’s too short to be in the ‘right’ line of work.  Because it’s so short, you need to be in your ideal line of work.  In the very best position you can get yourself (and positioning is the key).  Earning a living where everything feels right and flows.  And in a position where you can reap the highest returns and rewards that you really want for what you do.  And that line of work will change as you get older.  So most of all you need to know how to keep yourself on track.  Life’s too short to spend years holding yourself down.

But You’ve Got Plenty of Working Years Left!

Despite life being short, you’ve also got longer than you think to work, so that’s another reason to change your career and get it right now.  Consider this – people are living longer these days, and working longer.  Many people are working in to their seventies.  My father in law is 71, a builder, and still climbs on rooves!  Not because he has to (he could retire) but because he loves his work.  Many people are working to mid-seventies, and I heard yesterday about a top architect in his mid-eighties and still going strong.

You’re Half Way Through Your Working Life at Around 47 Years Old!

Think about this – if you started working at say 20 years old and worked until 75, that’s 55 working years.  You’re half way through your working life then at 47 years old!  When you get to 47, you’ve likely got the same working years again until you retire.  So why not get it right now and make them as enjoyable, productive and fulfilling as possible?  Act on what you’ve discovered about earning a living in your earlier years.  Get it right.

What if You’re Too Old or Too Young to Do Something You Want to Do?

When I started my business I was 25.  It wasn’t long until I was ready to stand up and speak in front of senior execs, telling them that they weren’t learning and working effectively enough and that they could make some simple changes to how they approached their work to shave hours off their week and get results faster.  But who was I to tell them that at 25?  ‘Oh by the way, you’ve been doing it wrong, and you could have got to where you have much faster’.  When I was trying to pluck up the courage to stand up and tell people that sort of thing head on, I kept thinking that I was too young and that I wouldn’t have credibility.

Someone saved me from my fears by saying:

“If you’re good enough, you’re old enough”.

Good point.  Age is irrelevant if you can win people over by how you do your job.

Likewise,

“If you’re still good enough, you’re young enough”.  The eighty-something architect is young enough then to produce exceptional quality work.  Clint Eastwood produced what I believe to be his best work ever in ‘Gran Torino’ at age 77.  He’s young enough to top that too.  I get the impression both of these are in their ideal careers.

So don’t let your age tell you or others about your work.  Let the quality of your work tell them.  And improve the quality of your work by purposefully choosing the right line of work – something that makes full use of your drive and capabilities.  If you want help with that - click here.

You might also like these:

1. How to Be the Best, Fastest or Smartest Employee in Your Team
2. Employees: Earn More for Less Effort
3. Big Decisions: Taking Risks
4. How to Fly High in Your Work
5. If You Don’t Like Your Work, Get Out!